On April 4th, 1928 an extraordinary woman was born in St.
Louis Missouri to the late Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter Johnson when they seen her gorgeous face she was given a beautiful name Marguerite Ann Johnson. At the time of her birth no one knew how great she would be in our history of poetry, novels, movies, and plays. Sometime in her life she changed her name to Maya Angelou. Maya came from her brother he used to call her my-a-sister; it was his nickname he gave to her.
During her years Maya has had rough times especially in her first seventeen years of life.She has been highly honored for her many bodies of work including being awarded with over thirty honorary degrees and nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her 1971 volume of poetry, “Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water “Fore I Diiie. ” (Wikipedia. org) Maya has been through trials and tribulations in her life that she has managed to get through with her head held high and a determined persona of herself. Maya is considered a legend in her own time and a powerful role model for several of our inspiring poets including Nikki Giovanni and Gwendolyn Brooks just to name a few.
Maya Angelou has written six autobiographies which have all focused on her growing up and her early childhood years. In Maya’s first published book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya speaks about her family, parents divorce, her and her brother Bailey living with relatives, and the abuse and rape she endured from her mother’s boyfriend. Maya Angelou has overcome racism, rape, and being a mute and when you look at this spectacular woman and all of her accomplishments she deserve a standing ovation. Maya the Person Marguerite Johnson was born in St. Louis Missouri to two caring parents, Mr. nd Mrs.
Johnson.When Maya was three and her brother four their parents decided to end their marriage and get a divorce. Mr. Johnson sent his two young children to live with their grandmother Annie Henderson in Stamps, Arkansas they traveled alone to their destination on a train.
Ms. Henderson was financially comfortable due to her general store during the Great Depression and World War 2. She sold basic commodities and made wise investments. After living with Ms. Henderson their father returned to Stamps to reclaim his children and return them back to St. Louis to their mother.
While living with their mother her live in boyfriend Mr. Freeman sexually abused Maya and raped her. Maya told Bailey what Freeman had done to her and Bailey told the rest of his family. Freeman was jailed and found guilty he was released after one day four days later Freeman was found dead and it had been said that Maya’s uncle’s were the culprits.
When Maya found out what had happened to Freeman she went into a depression staying that it was her fault because she had told and that her voice had killed him, Maya became a mute for five years until she met a teacher by the name of Mrs. Bertha Flowers and later became a friend to her.Mrs. Flowers was credited by Maya for helping her to speak again, (I know why the Caged Bird Sings pg.
72) she also introduced Maya into classical literature: William Shakespeare whom Maya met and fell in love with, Allen Edgar Poe, and Douglas Johnson as well as black female artists like Frances Harper, Anne Spencer and Jessie Fauset. At the age of thirteen Maya and Bailey returned to live with their mother in San Francisco, California during World War 2.Maya attended George Washington High School and studied dance and drama on a scholarship and the California Labor School. Before Maya graduated she worked as the first black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Three weeks after completing school Maya gave birth to a son who she named Clyde.
In Maya’s late teen years (17-19) she went through a series of relationships, occupations, and cities as she attempted to raise her son without the benefit of job training or advanced education. Maya was a single mother who had worked various jobs including prostitution and a Madame of a brothel.Actress and Dancer In 1952, Maya was working in a nightclub called “The Purple Onion” where she was a dancer and a very good one according to her audience and managers. She performed a dance called Calypso and people admired her style of dance. (www.
referencecenter. org) One night Maya’s managers confronted her and suggested that she adopt a more professional name, up until that conversation Maya went by Marguerite Johnson or Rita. Maya Angelou became her professional name. Maya toured Europe with a production of the Opera Porgy and Bess in 1954 and 1955, studied modern dance with Martha Graham.Maya danced with Ailey on television variety shows and recorded her first record album Miss Calypso in 1957. During the same time she co-created a dance team, “Al and Rita,” with choreographer Alvin Ailey, who combined elements of modern dance, ballet, and West African tribal dancing.
Maya also starred in several off Broadway productions including Genet’s “The Blacks” and her own “Cabaret for Freedom” (1960). Maya felt that she needed to do more in her life while raising her son so Maya decided to try her hand at writing. Author and WriterIn the late 1950’s Maya joined the Harlem Writers Guild where she met a number of important African American Authors, including her friend and mentor James Baldwin. Maya attended a Civil Rights Movement Meeting and there she heard Martin Luther King Jr speak for the first time in 1960 and there Maya was inspired to join the Civil Rights Movement. Maya organized several benefits for MLK and he named her Northern Coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In the early 1960’s Maya briefly lived with freedom fighter Vusumi Make in Cairo, Egypt where she became an Associate Editor at the weekly newspaper, The Arab Observer.
After two years (1962) her relationship ended with Make and Maya and her son moved to Ghana. Maya took on a job as an assistant administrator and instructor at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama she was a feature editor for the African Review and she acted and wrote plays. With Maya’s and MLK’s friendship aspiring they became good friends and during their friendship Maya learned things from him that would last her the rest of her life. He also inspired Maya to be a role model for others that she would also be herself no matter what path her life took.When MLK was assassinated, Maya decided to send flowers to his widow every April fourth (Maya’s birthday) Coretta Scott King up until her untimely death. Inspired by her good friend James Baldwin Maya decided to write her first book “I Know why the Caged Bird sings” (1969) which brought her international recognition and acclaim.
This book is about Maya’s childhood, her upbringing, her trials and tribulations and everything that made her what she is today. Who would have known that Maya would go ahead and write six more Autobiographies and several books of poetry that would earn her awards, trophies, Pulitzer, and worldwide recognition?Writer Maya Angelou composed music for movies, wrote articles, short stories and poetry for several magazines. She appeared in a supporting role in the television mini-series Roots in 1977; she also wrote for television and composed songs for Roberta Flack. Maya’s screenplay Georgia, Georgia was the first original script by a black woman to be produced. During this time Maya met TV anchor Oprah Winfrey in Baltimore, Maryland which would lead to a long lasting friendship later on down the road.Poet Maya has written several poems including the famous: And Still I Rise, Phenomenal Woman, Clothes, and one she wrote for Bill Clinton’s inauguration On the Pulse.
Maya’s poetry is a symbolism of life lessons, heartache, friendship, love and personal experiences. When Maya recites her poems she sits on a stool and recites them from memory and she has such feelings when she speaks. Maya touches the hearts of her listener’s young and old black or white and she unites all of us as one. Conclusion I have never meet Maya Angelou but I would love to just so that I can tell her that she is my inspiration.
